BOSTON, Mass. – Simmons soccer, who received 119 points and one first place vote, will look to make some noise after falling in the GNAC title game last season to Lasell College. The Sharks lost All-Conference midfielder Justine Beauchamp to graduation but return junior forward Keri Acheson (Peabody, Mass.) and Kristyn Heuslein (Manchester, N.H.) who tied for second on the team in goals last year with six scores apiece.

Also returning are All-Conference defensemen Katie McCarthy (Falmouth, Maine) and Izzy Verrilli (Naugatuck, Conn.) and the sophomore goalie duo of Amber Verrill (Windham, Maine) and Brianna Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.), who combined to post a 1.59 goals against average last year while registering an .829 save percentage.

Lasell College women's soccer team has been selected as the 2013 pre-season favorite in this year's GNAC Coaches Poll, receiving a total of 149 points and six first place votes. After finishing the 2012 season with the regular-season crown, the University of Saint Joseph (CT) squad took the number two spot and will look to avenge an early exit from the GNAC tournament a year ago. Emmanuel will look to return to the top half of the GNAC after a few rebuilding seasons and Albertus Magnus will look to build off a strong 2012 campaign in which they posted a 7-3-2 conference mark.

Suffolk University and Johnson & Wales University both earned 72 total points in the poll to come in a two-way tie for sixth place while Saint Joseph's College (ME) was in eighth place with 66 points. Norwich University was just below them in ninth in the poll with 57 points.

Rounding out the 2013 poll, Rivier University registered 32 points in 10^th place. Mount Ida College was in 11^th place with 27 points and Anna Maria College ranked 12^th with 16 points.

The Sharks open their 2013 season on Sunday, Sept 1 at 12:00 p.m. against MIT.